Peebles Hoard in Tin-Rich Bronze – History

Initial cleaning of objects from the Bronze Age Peebles hoard discovered in Scotland five years ago has revealed that their surfaces have a rare silvery color rather than the deep gold or greenish-brown patina commonly seen in ancient bronzes. This silvery luster is almost completely unknown in British Bronze Age artefacts, a time when silver itself was not yet used.

In June 2020, a metal detector discovered the first bronze item in the hoard, and luckily he alerted archaeologists instead of trying to excavate the remaining bronze items himself. His conscientiousness allowed the entire treasure to be micro-excavated in the earth under laboratory conditions, thus preserving the extremely rare original leather harness belt and intact wooden scabbard.

After four years of painstaking excavation and analysis, more than 500 bronzes were discovered, dating from 1000 BC to 800 BC, with such a rich variety of cultural relics that they are unique in Europe. It contains some of the earliest examples of bronzes produced in Scotland using the lost wax casting technique. National Museums Scotland allocated the hoards through the hoard process in 2024 and launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for the long-term conservation and research of the hoards.

Conservation work begins this year. Every piece is documented, cleaned and stabilized. There are more than 500 items in the hoard, and the entire process is expected to take three years to complete. Thick layers of dirt and corrosive material must be painstakingly removed with surgical precision.

When conservators exposed the original surfaces, they discovered that some of the items had a special silvery sheen. X-ray fluorescence analysis showed that the alloy contained a certain proportion of tin, which is where the silver color comes from.

This may indicate that a rarely observed technique was used in the creation of the Peebles Hoard. This may represent an intentional surface enrichment of the bronze, where the tin is attracted to the surface rather than being tinned or immersed in tin. This is a remarkable and rare process in Bronze Age Britain that requires more work to understand.

It ultimately reinforces the spectacular nature of the objects in Peebles’ Treasure. In the bronze world, it will shine with a rare silver light. These objects were symbols of craftsmanship, status, and wealth.

The museum is still raising funds for ongoing conservation efforts. They’ve reached 80% of their £200,289 ($269,000) target, so that’s within reach. If you would like to help them get through this, please click here to donate. You can see the meticulous work you did in this time-lapse video.